Inspiring Insomniahttp://inspiringinsomnia.com
Musings on YA, paranormal, post-apocalyptic, dystopia, and anything else that strikes my fancyFri, 24 Jun 2016 00:28:29 +0000en-UShourly1http://inspiringinsomnia.comhttp://inspiringinsomnia.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/inspirng-insomnia-header-e1395465839962.jpgInspiring InsomniaInspiringInsomniaBloghttps://feedburner.google.comSubscribe with My Yahoo!Subscribe with FeedlySubscribe with BloglinesSubscribe with NetvibesSubscribe with PageflakesSubscribe with The Free DictionarySubscribe with Bitty BrowserSubscribe with Podcast ReadySubscribe with Daily RotationSubscribe with My AOLSubscribe with WikioSubscribe with Excite MIXSubscribe with GoogleSubscribe with NewsGatorSubscribe with WebwagSubscribe with Live.comSubscribe with PlusmoThank you for subscribing to Inspiring Insomnia! Now...let's chat about books!Review – Fellside by M.R. Careyhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/InspiringInsomniaBlog/~3/C8UWRIyRyKA/review-fellside-m-r-carey.html
http://inspiringinsomnia.com/2016/06/review-fellside-m-r-carey.html#commentsFri, 24 Jun 2016 00:28:29 +0000http://inspiringinsomnia.com/?p=4925I read a comment elsewhere that described Fellside as “Orange is the New Black with ghosts.” I’ve never seen OITNB, but I’ve assumed there are comedic elements. There is no comedy in the Fellside prison, but there is a ghost. Instead, life in Fellside is dark, dark, dark, as are the female inmates themselves. There are murders, beatings, corruption, and a dangerous drug smuggling ring. In other words – probably an accurate depiction of life in just about every prison.... Read more »

Fellside is a maximum security prison on the edge of the Yorkshire Moors. It's not the kind of place you'd want to end up. But it's where Jess Moulson could be spending the rest of her life.

It's a place where even the walls whisper.

And one voice belongs to a little boy with a message for Jess.

Will she listen?

I read a comment elsewhere that described Fellside as “Orange is the New Black with ghosts.” I’ve never seen OITNB, but I’ve assumed there are comedic elements. There is no comedy in the Fellside prison, but there is a ghost. Instead, life in Fellside is dark, dark, dark, as are the female inmates themselves. There are murders, beatings, corruption, and a dangerous drug smuggling ring. In other words – probably an accurate depiction of life in just about every prison.

Into this world comes Jess Moulson, a heroin addict and a convicted murderer of a young boy. She was high the night of the murder and has no memory of the crime, but her feelings of guilt and helplessness and hopelessness lead her to accept responsibility, and she is thrown to the wolves at Fellside.

M.R. Carey’s previous novel, The Girl With All the Gifts, remains one of my favorite books of the last few years. There are quite a few shades of TGWATG in Fellside, most significantly the relationship between the female adult MC and a young child. In both stories, the two protagonists support, learn from, and occasionally rescue each other. The relationship in TGWATG was so much more moving, however, because it is the focal point of the story, and because we get to know so much more about that child. In Fellside, the child is a mystery to be unraveled, and while that is crucial to the plot, it makes it more difficult to feel the same attachment to these two characters. That relationship also often hovers on the periphery of the awful setting of the prison, where not a day goes by without something awful happening.

I think fans of TGWATG will enjoy Fellside. TGWATG certainly had its own darkness, and that ending still wows me, but I felt frustrated by the ending of Fellside. I was thinking, “It didn’t have to happen that way!” While the ending of TGWATG felt RIGHT, this one felt…avoidable. I wonder if Carey was looking for the same powerful impact for the ending purely for the sake of avoiding a not-completely-unhappy-ever-after.

]]>http://inspiringinsomnia.com/2016/06/review-fellside-m-r-carey.html/feed1http://inspiringinsomnia.com/2016/06/review-fellside-m-r-carey.htmlReview: Slasher Girls and Monster Boyshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/InspiringInsomniaBlog/~3/s5kwUqG1j8U/review-slasher-girls-and-monster-boys.html
http://inspiringinsomnia.com/2015/09/review-slasher-girls-and-monster-boys.html#commentsThu, 17 Sep 2015 16:12:43 +0000http://inspiringinsomnia.com/?p=4910Even if you’re not a fan of short stories, you need to give this anthology a shot. It’s a collection of horror stories by some very well-known YA authors, and the result is solid and diverse, with one common them running through all of the stories. They don’t feature the type of bimbo-ish, murder-bait girls typically found in horror movies. These girls take charge and get revenge on the men who have wronged them. With only two exceptions, these 14... Read more »

A host of the smartest young adult authors come together in this collection of scary stories and psychological thrillers curated by Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea’s April Genevieve Tucholke.

Each story draws from a classic tale or two—sometimes of the horror genre, sometimes not—to inspire something new and fresh and terrifying. There are no superficial scares here; these are stories that will make you think even as they keep you on the edge of your seat. From bloody horror to supernatural creatures to unsettling, all-too-possible realism, this collection has something for any reader looking for a thrill.

Fans of TV’s The Walking Dead, True Blood, and American Horror Story will tear through tales by these talented authors:

Even if you’re not a fan of short stories, you need to give this anthology a shot. It’s a collection of horror stories by some very well-known YA authors, and the result is solid and diverse, with one common them running through all of the stories. They don’t feature the type of bimbo-ish, murder-bait girls typically found in horror movies. These girls take charge and get revenge on the men who have wronged them.

With only two exceptions, these 14 short stories range from good to very, very good. All of them are based on one or more horror/thriller book or movie. Most of the inspirations are quickly identifiable. There are a couple of Frankenstein-ish stories, and in one story, as soon as it was revealed that a man was living with his mother, I thought, “Oh, I know what’s coming here!” Almost all of the stories present clever spins on the famous stories, and part of the fun in reading them is trying to figure out where the author will take the story, once its inspiration has become clear. And if you haven’t figured out the inspiration(s) by the end of the story, they are written out at the end.

My favorite story is A.G. Howard’s “Stitches,” which shows the lengths a father will go to to redeem himself for the daughters he abused. And seriously, you will not believe these lengths. Other very good stories are from Jay Kristoff, McCormick Templeman, and Kendare Blake. Kristoff’s “Sleepless” updates a well-known classic film for the social media age. The villain in this story is probably the worst in this anthology, and he has some pretty stiff competition. I wasn’t familiar with McCormick Templeman, and I will need to read more from this author, because “The Girl Who Dreamed of Snow” managed to demonstrate hopelessness and heartbreak in just a few pages. Blake’s story, “On the I-5” is perhaps the most “traditionally” scary story, in the sense that, as you may guess from the title, it’s based on bad things that can happen to girls out on the highway.

The big miss is April Genevieve Tucholke’s story. While all of the authors used other works merely as inspiration, Tucholke basically took “Carrie” and “I Know What You Did Last Summer” and stapled them together to regurgitate a sadly unoriginal story. I suppose she can be forgiven, however, since she is the author who selected all of the other stories for this excellent anthology.

]]>http://inspiringinsomnia.com/2015/09/review-slasher-girls-and-monster-boys.html/feed1http://inspiringinsomnia.com/2015/09/review-slasher-girls-and-monster-boys.htmlReview: Court of Fives by Kate Elliotthttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/InspiringInsomniaBlog/~3/YdlXXP4pDnw/review-court-of-fives-by-kate-elliott.html
http://inspiringinsomnia.com/2015/09/review-court-of-fives-by-kate-elliott.html#commentsWed, 02 Sep 2015 00:41:00 +0000http://inspiringinsomnia.com/?p=4861I have to start this review by talking about the world-building in Court of Fives. It was perfection. I totally bought into this world, and I felt fully immersed in it. There were no “Huh? What? Why? That makes no sense” moments. The basis for and the rules of society were established early on, and it was accomplished without an info dump. This is a rigid, two class, patriarchal society – the Patrons and the Commoners. Jes comes from a... Read more »

In this imaginative escape into an enthralling new world, World Fantasy Award finalist Kate Elliott begins a new trilogy with her debut young adult novel, weaving an epic story of a girl struggling to do what she loves in a society suffocated by rules of class and privilege.

Jessamy's life is a balance between acting like an upper class Patron and dreaming of the freedom of the Commoners. But at night she can be whomever she wants when she sneaks out to train for The Fives, an intricate, multi-level athletic competition that offers a chance for glory to the kingdom's best competitors. Then Jes meets Kalliarkos, and an unlikely friendship between a girl of mixed race and a Patron boy causes heads to turn. When a scheming lord tears Jes's family apart, she'll have to test Kal's loyalty and risk the vengeance of a powerful clan to save her mother and sisters from certain death.

I have to start this review by talking about the world-building in Court of Fives. It was perfection. I totally bought into this world, and I felt fully immersed in it. There were no “Huh? What? Why? That makes no sense” moments. The basis for and the rules of society were established early on, and it was accomplished without an info dump. This is a rigid, two class, patriarchal society – the Patrons and the Commoners. Jes comes from a highly unusual family. Her father is a Patron, and her mother is a Commoner. The only acceptable interactions between Patron men and Commoner women are when the men treat the women as temporary concubines. Marriage between the two classes is impossible. To actually raise a family and to be a married couple in everything but name, as Jes’s parents have done, is very unusual. Because Jes’s father is a very successful and valued military leader, his odd family is tolerated by his fellow Patrons. Barely.

Jes suffocates under the rules of her society. She rebels by anonymously participating in The Fives, a kind of intense obstacle course. Athletic prowess is celebrated, and champions of The Fives are highly respected. But not in Jes’s house. If her father was to find out that his daughter was a participant, he would be scandalized, and his already tenuous grasp on his social position would be even more challenged. Of course, this is exactly what happens, and Jes’s exposure sets into motion a series of events that tears her family apart. Jes is given the opportunity to openly participate in The Fives, even though she is now essentially the prisoner of the most despicable character in this story. Oddly, even though Jes is now a prisoner, and even though she is threatened with death if she is not successful in The Fives, she has more freedoms than she did with her family. She also has more motivation than ever to be a champion of The Fives, because she has a plan to get her family back together.

The first time I read a scene where Jess goes through the obstacles in The Fives, I was intrigued. By the tenth time, I was getting a little bored. Whether it’s because it wasn’t written clearly enough, or, more likely, because I zoned out a bit during these scenes, it wasn’t always easy for me to picture exactly what Jes was doing on the course. How did she swing on those rings? How did she land on the planks? It’s not integral to the story to be able to fully visualize these scenes, but because so much time was devoted to them, I felt like I was missing out.

One of the things I loved about Court of Fives is that it was a refreshing change of pace to read a story in which the MC has a fairly wide circle of allies. I’m more accustomed to an MC having one or perhaps two true friends, at least one of whom betrays the MC at the end. But even though Jes has a good deal of support, their world is dangerous, and there are limits to what her friends are able and willing to do for her. One of these allies is Kal, a Patron and a Lord, and a fellow participant in The Fives. And yes, he is Jes’s love interest. Their romance is sweet and slow-burning, and I was very happy that it was not the focal point of Jes’s life. It’s impossible to dislike Kal and not to sympathize with him, because even though he has enormous privilege, he still encounters problems very similar to Jes’s. He’s just as constrained by the strict class system and by the expectations of his family.

There are so many complex characters in this story, but the most interesting is probably Jes’s father. I felt the same sense of conflict about him as Jes did. I couldn’t decide whether to love him or hate him. I admired him for raising a family with the woman he loves, even though everything he learned in this society told him it was wrong. But when it really mattered, and his devotion to his family seemed to disappear, I hated him, even though I could kind of understand his reasons.

Of course, at the center of all this is Jes. She is a feminist in a world where feminism doesn’t even exist. She continually challenges the barriers of acceptable behavior for young women and for the lower class. In short she’s fantastic, and she is reason enough to pick up this book.

Random aside: I loved a scene that depicted bartering in a market with Jes’s sister and a shop owner. The bartering is done via effusive, yet sly, compliments by both parties. This scene drew a crowd that appreciated the skill both buyer and seller demonstrated.

]]>http://inspiringinsomnia.com/2015/09/review-court-of-fives-by-kate-elliott.html/feed1http://inspiringinsomnia.com/2015/09/review-court-of-fives-by-kate-elliott.htmlStacking the Shelves: August 29, 2015http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/InspiringInsomniaBlog/~3/XOuDj78qfNo/stacking-the-shelves-august-29-2015.html
http://inspiringinsomnia.com/2015/08/stacking-the-shelves-august-29-2015.html#commentsSat, 29 Aug 2015 05:25:22 +0000http://inspiringinsomnia.com/?p=4898Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks! Visit Tynga’s Reviews to learn more about this weekly meme. I just finished reading Everything, Everything, and wow, that was quite an experience. Add this to your TBR if it’s not already there. I doubt... Read more »

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks! Visit Tynga’s Reviews to learn more about this weekly meme.

I just finished reading Everything, Everything, and wow, that was quite an experience. Add this to your TBR if it’s not already there. I doubt I’ll be reviewing it here because it would probably be difficult for me to review without spoiling it. There were some things at the end of the book that made me think, “Hmmm, this would NEVER happen,” but it wasn’t enough to ruin the experience for me. I’m going to look forward to reading others’ reviews, to see how they handle the spoiler aspect.

FOR REVIEW

LIBRARY

Let me know what hit your shelves this week!

]]>http://inspiringinsomnia.com/2015/08/stacking-the-shelves-august-29-2015.html/feed12http://inspiringinsomnia.com/2015/08/stacking-the-shelves-august-29-2015.htmlBooks That Would Be on My Syllabus If I Taught Girls About Unhealthy Relationshipshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/InspiringInsomniaBlog/~3/inRtsb1TMps/books-that-would-be-on-my-syllabus-if-i-taught-girls-about-unhealthy-relationships.html
http://inspiringinsomnia.com/2015/08/books-that-would-be-on-my-syllabus-if-i-taught-girls-about-unhealthy-relationships.html#commentsTue, 25 Aug 2015 03:52:32 +0000http://inspiringinsomnia.com/?p=4892Top Ten Tuesday is a meme created by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week a new topic is given, and this week’s topic is: Books That Would Be on My Syllabus If I Taught Girls About Unhealthy Relationships One of the things that bothers me about some YA and NA books is how they idealize obsessive, possessive relationships. Instead of depicting these relationships as unhealthy, destructive, and potentially very dangerous, some authors seem to think that possessiveness expressed by a... Read more »

Books That Would Be on My Syllabus If I Taught Girls About Unhealthy Relationships

One of the things that bothers me about some YA and NA books is how they idealize obsessive, possessive relationships. Instead of depicting these relationships as unhealthy, destructive, and potentially very dangerous, some authors seem to think that possessiveness expressed by a male character towards a female character is a sign of his deep love for her. Some of the behaviors that are portrayed as romantic include stalking, violence, and isolating the female character from her friends and family. Of course, the authors never use those terms to describe the behavior of the male characters, but let’s not kid ourselves. Stalking? Oh, he’s not stalking her at all. It’s just that she is so desirable that he must keep tabs on her 24/7 in order to “protect” her from other men, even if that means spying on her, violating her privacy, and constantly showing up unannounced. As for the violence, the authors know that it’s not “sexy” for a guy to beat up a girl. But, they have no reservations about having the guy beat up other guys or destroy inanimate objects, because jealousy and rage are supposed to be expressions of his passion for the girl. Isolating a girl from her friends and family is another sign of love, because of course, she should be as obsessive and single-minded about him as he is about her.

I’ve mentioned this before in a couple of my reviews of some of the books below: I was a victim of stalking in college. I ended a three year relationship, and I was stalked for about a year as a result. The “heavy” stalking involved threats to my father that he would murder me, chasing my car on a highway and crashing into it, non-stop phone calls at all hours of the day and night, driving drunk to my dorm and trying to break in, and on and on. Obviously, no author would glamorize these criminal behaviors, but here’s the thing: before all of that started, he was very much like the male characters in the books I show below. And I was very much like the female characters: 18 years old at the time, naive, inexperienced, and I felt so special and so adored by this guy who was, in hindsight, in the early stages of inflicting a great deal of permanent emotional damage on me, and it’s made it extremely difficult for me to trust people and form relationships, especially with men.

I do believe that none of these authors intend any harm, and I’m sure that they would loudly dispute any suggestion that their books glamorize dangerous behaviors. But I wish that when authors start describing the type of “sexy” behavior I write about in the first paragraph, they would step back and ask a friend, family member, or fellow author who has been on the receiving end of that behavior how it felt. And ask them if and how it escalated. I don’t want to censor authors, but I want them to think about what they want their young teen readers to take away from these books. Should these girls shun the nice guy next door, and instead go for the guy who beats up any other guy who looks at her? I’d feel differently if these authors were writing for adults, but when their audience is YA, I genuinely fear that their young readers will romanticize these unhealthy relationships in real life and end up like me.

Finally, I want to point out that some of these books have large and passionate fan bases, and I don’t want to offend anyone by discussing these books in this way. Keep in mind that my reaction to these books is a direct result of my own stalking experience, and if that hadn’t happened to me, I might be fans of these books, too.

1) Hopelessby Colleen Hoover: A few of the “loving” behaviors that the guy does within a few days of meeting the MC: slams his fist into the hood of a car; repeatedly invades MC’s personal space and puts his hands on her within a day of meeting her; punches a locker when she gives the “wrong” answer when he asks if she’s dating anyone; admits to beating “someone within an inch of his life” and vows to do it again; goes through her phone without permission; when she asks him to leave her house, he refuses, and lays down on her bed instead and grabs her and pins her underneath him; after ignoring her for a month, he breaks into her window in the middle of the night and climbs into her bed.

2) Ten, Tiny Breaths by K.A. Tucker: At this point, I’m feeling a bit ill after writing what feels like an essay about stalking, so I will just include links to my reviews in the title, in case you want to more about the gross behaviors in the rest of these books.

Your turn! Share your TTT post with me below!

]]>http://inspiringinsomnia.com/2015/08/books-that-would-be-on-my-syllabus-if-i-taught-girls-about-unhealthy-relationships.html/feed12http://inspiringinsomnia.com/2015/08/books-that-would-be-on-my-syllabus-if-i-taught-girls-about-unhealthy-relationships.htmlReview: Armada by Ernest Clinehttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/InspiringInsomniaBlog/~3/v1hGTxVCcC4/review-armada-by-ernest-cline.html
http://inspiringinsomnia.com/2015/08/review-armada-by-ernest-cline.html#commentsWed, 19 Aug 2015 23:56:25 +0000http://inspiringinsomnia.com/?p=4835This is my Twitter profile: “Anxiously awaiting an alien invasion. Or a zombie apocalypse. Either will do.” This is on page 4 of Armada: “I had spent hundreds of hours…silently yearning for the outbreak of a zombie apocalypse.” Zack, the MC, also expresses the desire for humanity to make contact with intelligent alien life sometime during his lifetime, which is a also a desire that I have often expressed. So I was certain from the beginning that I would feel a... Read more »

Zack Lightman has spent his life dreaming. Dreaming that the real world could be a little more like the countless science-fiction books, movies, and videogames he’s spent his life consuming. Dreaming that one day, some fantastic, world-altering event will shatter the monotony of his humdrum existence and whisk him off on some grand space-faring adventure.

But hey, there’s nothing wrong with a little escapism, right? After all, Zack tells himself, he knows the difference between fantasy and reality. He knows that here in the real world, aimless teenage gamers with anger issues don’t get chosen to save the universe.

And then he sees the flying saucer.

Even stranger, the alien ship he’s staring at is straight out of the videogame he plays every night, a hugely popular online flight simulator called Armada—in which gamers just happen to be protecting the earth from alien invaders.

No, Zack hasn’t lost his mind. As impossible as it seems, what he’s seeing is all too real. And his skills—as well as those of millions of gamers across the world—are going to be needed to save the earth from what’s about to befall it.

It’s Zack’s chance, at last, to play the hero. But even through the terror and exhilaration, he can’t help thinking back to all those science-fiction stories he grew up with, and wondering: Doesn’t something about this scenario seem a little…familiar?

At once gleefully embracing and brilliantly subverting science-fiction conventions as only Ernest Cline could, Armada is a rollicking, surprising thriller, a classic coming of age adventure, and an alien invasion tale like nothing you’ve ever read before—one whose every page is infused with the pop-culture savvy that has helped make Ready Player One a phenomenon.

This is my Twitter profile: “Anxiously awaiting an alien invasion. Or a zombie apocalypse. Either will do.” This is on page 4 of Armada: “I had spent hundreds of hours…silently yearning for the outbreak of a zombie apocalypse.” Zack, the MC, also expresses the desire for humanity to make contact with intelligent alien life sometime during his lifetime, which is a also a desire that I have often expressed. So I was certain from the beginning that I would feel a deep, spiritual bond with Zack. I was also immediately prepared to love this book, and while that didn’t quite happen, I did enjoy it.

I should mention that I have yet to read Ready Player One. (But it’s on my Kindle! I’ll get to it soon!) I had no idea what to expect from Cline’s writing, but what I found, aside from his obvious love of gaming, was how well he depicted Zack’s sense of awe when he learns that Armada, the video game he loves, isn’t a game at all, as well as his desperate need to search for answers.

Zack’s life changes in an instant when a spaceship lands outside his school and summons him aboard. Fortunately, these are not evil aliens. This ship belongs to the Earth Defense Alliance, and they have recruited Zack to join their fight against an impending alien invasion. Even more bizarre, the design of the spaceship and the EDA are both features of his beloved Armada game. Zack’s mind>>>>blown. It turns out that the military has been covertly “training” civilians by releasing games that will allow players to develop their skills to eventually pilot drones in battle against the aliens. The military had been monitoring the best players, and when the time came, they were enlisted into the fight.

Here’s the best thing about Armada: I actually believe this could happen. As I was typing the paragraphs above, I can see how it sounds outlandish, but we already use drones in battle. Now, those drones are usually just dropping bombs on stationary targets, so they probably don’t require much more than for someone to key in the coordinates to send it on its way. But what if our drones were doing battle in the sky against a fleet of enemy alien drones? Is it crazy to think that a teenager who has spent half of his or her life gaming and developing excellent hand/eye coordination would also have the skill to use a gaming-type controller to fight with an actual drone?

I’m less certain about how I feel about Armada’s big reveal. We are all used to books that save the shocking reveal for the closing chapters. Sometimes that works fantastically, and sometimes it seems forced and clumsy. Cline takes a different tactic. There are a few reveals that happen later in the book, but the BIG one is revealed fairly early. For some reasons, this had to happen. Zack was asking himself questions that I was asking myself, and if he wasn’t wondering about these things, it would have felt false for a kid as smart as Zack. I appreciate the fact that Cline did something unexpected, but I can’t help wondering if I would have felt differently about the story if he’d been able to shock me with the reveal at the end. That’s certainly not necessary in order for me to be able to enjoy a book, but it’s always fun with that happened. The one unavoidable negative aspect with the early reveal is that it made the battle scenes less climactic than they would have been otherwise.

With the book’s heavy focus on gaming, you may be wondering if you need to be a gamer to get full enjoyment out of this book. I’d say…probably not. I love video games, but I play RPG’s, not the type of games Zack plays. While this might have helped me to enjoy the book overall, some of the gaming-focused scenes, particularly all of the training, were the least enjoyable. Oh, and, by the way, while I have spent more hours of life than I care to admit playing games like Mass Effect, Dragon Age, The Witcher, and Skyrim, I would never call myself a “gamer.” That’s because I generally suck. In other words, the Earth Defense Alliance will not be knocking on my door anytime soon.

As much as people (including me) wish that kids today would GET OUTSIDE AND PLAY, we may one day be grateful that they’ve been inside getting calluses on their thumbs, and I may get my wish for an alien invasion. (I think I’ll have to give up on the zombie apocalypse, though.)

Note: This review is based on a finished copy provided by the publisher.

]]>http://inspiringinsomnia.com/2015/08/review-armada-by-ernest-cline.html/feed3http://inspiringinsomnia.com/2015/08/review-armada-by-ernest-cline.htmlTop Authors Who Need to Write Their Next Book NOWhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/InspiringInsomniaBlog/~3/ulKEQhOamUY/top-authors-who-need-to-write-their-next-book-now.html
http://inspiringinsomnia.com/2015/08/top-authors-who-need-to-write-their-next-book-now.html#commentsTue, 18 Aug 2015 03:47:57 +0000http://inspiringinsomnia.com/?p=4863Top Ten Tuesday is a meme created by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week a new topic is given, and this week’s topic is: Top Ten Authors Who Need to Write Their Next Book NOW I did a minor tweak to this week’s Top Ten Topic. They aren’t necessarily all auto-buy authors in the sense that I can’t say I will always buy their future books, but for all of the authors listed below, I loved their last books so much... Read more »

Top Ten Authors Who Need to Write Their Next Book NOW

I did a minor tweak to this week’s Top Ten Topic. They aren’t necessarily all auto-buy authors in the sense that I can’t say I will always buy their future books, but for all of the authors listed below, I loved their last books so much that I will definitely be lining up to buy their next book. I also tried to avoid blockbuster authors like Marissa Meyer, Laini Taylor, Rainbow Rowell, Suzanne Collins, etc., and instead focused on newer and/or underrated authors. The books pictured below are the most recent book I’ve read by that particular author, and I highly recommend all of them.

1) Free to Fall by Lauren Miller: This book was even better than her debut, Parallel. I regularly check GR to see if there is any news of a third book, and I continue to be disappointed. I really hope this is not the last we have seen from her.

2)A Mad, Wicked Folly by Sharon Biggs Waller: This is one of my favorite recent works of historical fiction, focusing on the suffragette movement in London in the early 1900’s. Waller’s next book is The Forbidden Orchid, coming out in February 2016. It’s another historical fiction story, this time set in China.

3) Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli: I don’t know anyone who didn’t love this debut book. GR shows an upcoming book in 2016, but so far, there is no synopsis. I would love to see a female MC next from Albertalli.

4) The Girl With All the Gifts by M.R. Carey: One of my favorite books of 2014. It’s a heart-breaking sci-fi/post-apocalyptic with an unforgettable young MC and and ending you will never forget. M.R. Carey is a pseudonym for Mike Carey. As Mike Carey, he writes graphic novels like X-Men and The Fantastic Four, and he did the graphic novel adaptation of Neverwhere. As M.R. Carey, his next book is called Fellside, and will be published in April 2016. It sounds like a paranormal thriller.

5)Noggin by John Corey Whaley: I always stress with this book that people shouldn’t be distracted by the quirky cover and bizarre-sounding synopsis, because this story is so thoughtful and heart-warming. His next book is Highly Illogical Behavior, about a boy with agoraphobia.

6) Here by Richard McGuire: I recommend this book to everyone, whether you like graphic novels or not. The drawings are beautiful, there is very little text, but the stories it tells are so deep.

7) A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman: This is a story set in Sweden about a grumpy, controlling widower whose life is turned upside-down by an immigrant family who moves in next door. The book was originally written in Swedish, and the translator deserves a lot of credit, too, because the English translation was so beautifully written.

8) Seveneves by Neal Stephenson: I hadn’t heard of Stephenson until a couple of months ago, even though he’s written lots of books and has hundreds of thousands of reviews on GR. In that sense, he doesn’t belong on this list of newer, more underrated authors, but since only 10 of my GR friends have added this book, I can’t miss the opportunity to recommend Seveneves. This book is epic – more than 800 pages. It starts off with the destruction of the moon, then the eventual knowledge that the earth will turn into a life-ending inferno in about two years, and then it focuses on the plans to save about 2,000 humans from extinction by sending then to live is space. It’s predicted that Earth will not be inhabitable for 5,000 years, so these humans will need to find a way to survive in space for a very long time. Even if you don’t think you want to invest the time to read this massive book, I urge you to at least get it from your library to give it a shot. It became un-putdown-able for me in the first 20 pages. His next book is called Fall, and it’s described as “a high-tech retelling of Paradise Lost,” but since it won’t be published until 2017, I need to go back to read some of his previous books.

9) The Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson: This is an adult thriller, filled with wonderfully awful characters. GR doesn’t show any upcoming books for Swanson, but whatever it is, I’ll be buying it.

10) Delicate Monsters by Stephanie Kuehn: Kuehn has such a talent for writing about truly f***ed-up characters. She’s done this so well in her first three books, and while a part of me would like to see how she would write a more “normal” character, that seems a little greedy on my part. Her next book is called “The Pragmatist,” and while a pragmatist is almost the definition of normal, I suspect this book will be anything but.

]]>http://inspiringinsomnia.com/2015/08/top-authors-who-need-to-write-their-next-book-now.html/feed7http://inspiringinsomnia.com/2015/08/top-authors-who-need-to-write-their-next-book-now.htmlStacking the Shelves: August 15, 2015http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/InspiringInsomniaBlog/~3/z4LZwJ0XUiA/stacking-the-shelves-august-15-2015.html
http://inspiringinsomnia.com/2015/08/stacking-the-shelves-august-15-2015.html#commentsSat, 15 Aug 2015 04:04:44 +0000http://inspiringinsomnia.com/?p=4850Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks! Visit Tynga’s Reviews to learn more about this weekly meme. I pre-ordered Illuminae on Amazon last week when I saw on Twitter that the hardcover was under $10 on Amazon. Good news! That... Read more »

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks! Visit Tynga’s Reviews to learn more about this weekly meme.

I pre-ordered Illuminae on Amazon last week when I saw on Twitter that the hardcover was under $10 on Amazon. Good news! That price is still in effect. And here are a bunch of other $11 and under Amazon pre-orders: Everything, Everything, Walk on Earth a Stranger, Legacy of Kings, Court of Fives, The Rest of Us Just Live Here, Never Always Sometimes, A Thousand Nights, The Immortal Heights, Stand-Off, Dreamland, and The Weight of Feathers.

Let me know what hit your shelves this week!

]]>http://inspiringinsomnia.com/2015/08/stacking-the-shelves-august-15-2015.html/feed7http://inspiringinsomnia.com/2015/08/stacking-the-shelves-august-15-2015.htmlReview: Tangled Webs by Lee Brosshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/InspiringInsomniaBlog/~3/GfGvX24dS-8/review-tangled-webs-lee-bross.html
http://inspiringinsomnia.com/2015/08/review-tangled-webs-lee-bross.html#commentsTue, 11 Aug 2015 02:00:44 +0000http://inspiringinsomnia.com/?p=4831One of the things that caught my eye in the synopsis for “Tangled Webs” is the description of the protagonist as “the most notorious blackmailer” in eighteenth-century London. But after reading “Tangled Webs,” I have to say, “er, not so much.” Arista is a sympathetic and fairly complex character, but a notorious blackmailer? I think it would be more honest to call her a glamorous messenger. It’s impossible not to feel compassion for Arista who, along with other children, is... Read more »

London, 1725. Everybody has a secret. Lady A will keep yours—for a price. This sumptuous, scandalous YA novel is wickedly addictive.

Lady A is the most notorious blackmailer in the city. With just a mask and a gown to disguise her, she sweeps into lavish balls and exclusive events collecting the most valuable currency in 1725 London—secrets.

But leading a double life isn't easy. By day Lady A is just a sixteen-year-old girl named Arista who lives in fear of her abusive master, Bones, and passes herself off as a boy to move safely through the squalor of London's slums. When Bones attempts to dispose of his pawn forever, Arista is rescued by the last person she expects: Jonathan Wild, the infamous Thief Taker General who moves seamlessly between the city's criminal underworld and its most elite upper circles. Arista partners with Wild on her own terms in the hopes of saving enough money to buy passage out of London.

Everything changes when she meets Graeden Sinclair, the son of a wealthy merchant. Grae has traveled the world, has seen the exotic lands Arista has longed to escape to her whole life, and he loves Arista for who she is—not for what she can do for him. Being with Grae gives something Arista something precious that she swore off long ago: hope. He has promised to help Arista escape the life of crime that has claimed her since she was a child. But can you ever truly escape the past?

One of the things that caught my eye in the synopsis for “Tangled Webs” is the description of the protagonist as “the most notorious blackmailer” in eighteenth-century London. But after reading “Tangled Webs,” I have to say, “er, not so much.” Arista is a sympathetic and fairly complex character, but a notorious blackmailer? I think it would be more honest to call her a glamorous messenger.

It’s impossible not to feel compassion for Arista who, along with other children, is enslaved by an evil man with the even more evil-sounding name of Bones. Bones beats the children, starves them, and forces them into labor for him. Arista is one of his most prized slaves, and he sends her on missions to collect and trade scandalous secrets among the wealthy residents of London. This is where my disagreement with the term “blackmailer” comes in, because Arista is merely doing the bidding of Bones, passing messages between Bones and his clients. We’re frequently told that people are terrified of Lady A (Arista’s persona when she is sent out on her missions), but I never understood why. Yes, she is an extension of Bones, who IS truly terrifying, but Arista/Lady A never presents herself in a threatening manner. Plus, the people she encounters all willingly sought out the services of Bones, so they have no reason to be alarmed when Lady A shows up.

Nevertheless, I liked Arista. She’s clever, she’s (somewhat) vengeful, and she took me by surprise a few times. Arista’s world is filled with people who underestimate her and try to take advantage of her. Several times, I think they’ve succeeded, and just when I want to scream, “What are you thinking, Arista?!?” it’s revealed that she was on top of the situation the entire time.

Arista is most likable when she is in the company of her two best friends. Her relationships with these two girls are a little lopsided; both girls view her in an almost worshipful light, while Arista is very maternal towards them. Arista’s abusive background can believably result in her need to be protective of other girls, but it would have been nice to have seen a bit more of a distinction between the two relationships.

I was a bit less enamored with Arista’s male love interests. Yep, it’s a love triangle. One of them was also a captive of Bones since childhood. He protected Arista when they were both very young and as they grew up committing crimes for Bones. This is the more interesting of Arista’s two love interests, primarily because the other one is just awful. That would be Grae, whom Arista meets early in the story and who continues to pop up everywhere she goes. Through an unbelievable series of coincidences, Arista ends up living in his house, there’s a big misunderstanding, Grae hates Arista, and then Grae does a 180 in the span of about two sentences and decides he loves her. If you blink, you’ll miss the moment that Grae switches from complete mistrust to head over heels in love. In other words, cliche followed by cliche followed by cliche.

Even though the story is fairly predictable, it’s fun. Much of that fun lies in waiting to see who is going to deceive Arista next, wondering how she will respond, and then feeling the thrill when she one-ups those who betray her.

My main wish is that Arista would have taken more initiative in the blackmailing enterprise. I’d like to see her scheming and giving these rich people reasons to truly fear her. It might have made her less sympathetic, but it would have made her much more interesting and complicated.

]]>http://inspiringinsomnia.com/2015/08/review-tangled-webs-lee-bross.html/feed5http://inspiringinsomnia.com/2015/08/review-tangled-webs-lee-bross.htmlReview: The Cage by Megan Shepherdhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/InspiringInsomniaBlog/~3/k6Tm2djy32Y/review-the-cage-by-megan-shepherd.html
http://inspiringinsomnia.com/2015/08/review-the-cage-by-megan-shepherd.html#commentsWed, 05 Aug 2015 17:54:40 +0000http://inspiringinsomnia.com/?p=4824After finishing “The Cage“, I’m questioning whether this story is actually “otherwordly,” as described in the synopsis, because I unfortunately never really had the sense that we were dealing with aliens on some distant planet. No, it wasn’t because the aliens intentionally created Earth-like environments in order to put their human captives at ease, as was explained numerous times in the story. (Yeah, good luck with that.) There was just no sense of “otherness”; it felt like this book could... Read more »

When Cora Mason wakes in a desert, she doesn't know where she is or who put her there. As she explores, she finds an impossible mix of environments—tundra next to desert, farm next to jungle, and a strangely empty town cobbled together from different cultures—all watched over by eerie black windows. And she isn't alone.

Four other teenagers have also been taken: a beautiful model, a tattooed smuggler, a secretive genius, and an army brat who seems to know too much about Cora's past. None of them have a clue as to what happened, and all of them have secrets. As the unlikely group struggles for leadership, they slowly start to trust each other. But when their mysterious jailer—a handsome young guard called Cassian—appears, they realize that their captivity is more terrifying than they could ever imagine: Their captors aren't from Earth. And they have taken the five teenagers for an otherworldly zoo—where the exhibits are humans.

As a forbidden attraction develops between Cora and Cassian, she realizes that her best chance of escape might be in the arms of her own jailer—though that would mean leaving the others behind. Can Cora manage to save herself and her companions? And if so . . . what world lies beyond the walls of their cage?

After finishing “The Cage“, I’m questioning whether this story is actually “otherwordly,” as described in the synopsis, because I unfortunately never really had the sense that we were dealing with aliens on some distant planet. No, it wasn’t because the aliens intentionally created Earth-like environments in order to put their human captives at ease, as was explained numerous times in the story. (Yeah, good luck with that.) There was just no sense of “otherness”; it felt like this book could have been set in a science lab somewhere on Earth. Actually, most likely this lab would be set in the United States, since, unsurprisingly, every alien we encounter is fluent in English.

My biggest problem with this book, however, is the aliens themselves. This should never be a problem for me, because ever since I saw Close Encounters of the Third Kind when I was very young, I’ve been enthralled with stories and movies involving aliens. But they need to be ALIENS! Otherwise, what is the point of building a story around beings who are essentially human in appearance and behavior and who can communicate with the English-speaking world? I’ll go ahead and answer my own question. I’ve read two other YA books recently featuring alien/human romances (Alienated and Undertow), and all of these books had the same problem. The authors are forced to make the aliens so human-like in appearance and temperament in order to avoid the major ick factor that would occur if the teenage girl MC was making out with some beastly insectoid creature. But as soon as the alien qualities are wiped out, we’re left with any old humdrum relationship.

I had a few smaller issues with The Cage. The human captives are forced to solve silly puzzles and the tokens. Why was so much focused place upon this? Did I miss something here? And why, when the captives knew that they were being observed constantly, and when they knew THEIR MINDS COULD BE READ, did they believe that they could successfully hatch an escape plan? I don’t fault them for trying to escape, but I wish this would have been handled differently. The ending reveal was also underwhelming. When a particular character explained the purpose of everything that had occurred throughout the story, it didn’t make such sense. How did this fit in with the goals the aliens were trying to achieve?

Enough complaining, so I’ll end on a positive note. For the first part of the story, with the puzzles, the tokens, the abundance of food, and the assurances that the human captives would not be harmed, it felt no more dangerous than an episode of Survivor. However, as the story progressed, there was an increasing sense that the humans were truly in danger. There was some gruesomeness and some frightening moments, (which I loved), and it was just enough to keep me interested enough to continue reading.

]]>http://inspiringinsomnia.com/2015/08/review-the-cage-by-megan-shepherd.html/feed3http://inspiringinsomnia.com/2015/08/review-the-cage-by-megan-shepherd.htmlReview: Hold Me Like a Breath by Tiffany Schmidthttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/InspiringInsomniaBlog/~3/8H-0Guo932Q/review-hold-me-like-a-breath-by-tiffany-schmidt.html
http://inspiringinsomnia.com/2015/07/review-hold-me-like-a-breath-by-tiffany-schmidt.html#commentsThu, 30 Jul 2015 19:48:27 +0000http://inspiringinsomnia.com/?p=4815This poor book. It’s a mess. The first 20% of the book could have been an article in a women’s magazine titled, “My Rare and Potentially Fatal Illness,” by Penelope Landlow. I learned more than I cared to know about Penny’s illness which results in her bleeding internally at the slightest bump and requires regular monitoring and treatment. It goes on and on: Don’t touch Penny! Don’t let Penny go outside! Keep treating Penny like a helpless infant! When it... Read more »

Penelope Landlow has grown up with the knowledge that almost anything can be bought or sold—including body parts. She’s the daughter of one of the three crime families that control the black market for organ transplants.

Penelope’s surrounded by all the suffocating privilege and protection her family can provide, but they can't protect her from the autoimmune disorder that causes her to bruise so easily.

And in her family's line of work no one can be safe forever.

All Penelope has ever wanted is freedom and independence. But when she’s caught in the crossfire as rival families scramble for prominence, she learns that her wishes come with casualties, that betrayal hurts worse than bruises, that love is a risk worth taking . . . and maybe she’s not as fragile as everyone thinks.

This poor book. It’s a mess. The first 20% of the book could have been an article in a women’s magazine titled, “My Rare and Potentially Fatal Illness,” by Penelope Landlow. I learned more than I cared to know about Penny’s illness which results in her bleeding internally at the slightest bump and requires regular monitoring and treatment. It goes on and on: Don’t touch Penny! Don’t let Penny go outside! Keep treating Penny like a helpless infant! When it became clear that this was going to be a major theme throughout the book, I was ready to DNF. But the only thing of substance we learned in this first 20% is that Penny’s father is the head of a large organization that traffics in black market organs. I decided to continue on because I was waiting for Penny to give some thought to the ethics of the family business. Fortunately, it soon becomes clear why so much time was devoted to every nuance of Penny’s illness and how it relates to the larger plot. And the reason is…wait a minute. There is NO reason.

I think we can all agree that elderly people or people who have Down’s syndrome (two examples specifically cited in this book as people who are unable to get on donor waiting lists) should be able to get needed transplants. But what if their only means of getting these organs is to pay an enormous amount of money on the black market? What’s missing in this story is any thought given to the other side of the equation of the black market trade: the donor. In this book, the donors are painted in a very rosy light, like a college student who gives up a kidney in order to pay off her student loan debts. Sounds kinda nice, right? Everyone wins. But is this the reality? I watched a documentary last year about the black market for organs. The companies operate in third-world countries and prey upon impoverished, under-educated, and desperate people. These people give up their organs for a pittance, and their organs are then sold to wealthy Westerners. What happens if the donors get sick as a result of the procedure? What level of care do they receive? What happens if, years later, their one remaining kidney fails and THEY need a transplant? Will the company who took theirs step up to find a new one? Finally, do these people have any idea of the huge variance between the tiny payment they receive for giving up an organ and the large amount of money the donee pays for it?

OK, I’ll get off my soapbox now. But these are the things I wanted Penny to question. I wanted her to think about her family’s enormous wealth and how it wouldn’t have been possible if the donors weren’t being exploited. Both she (and the author) paint her family as the “good” black market organ factory, while the others are the bad ones. Incidentally, all of the organ companies in this story operate in the U.S. fairly openly. When any talk of fear of law enforcement comes up, it’s brushed aside with, “We’ve paid them all off.” How do all of these families keep their enormous, heavily secured, and heavily guarded estates away from prying eyes? “We pay off all the cab drivers so they won’t drive anyone up to our gates.” HUH???????

I’ll quickly sum up the rest of this story:

– Halfway through, a BIG, BAD THING happens that sends Penny on the run to New York. Most readers will immediately know who is responsible for the BIG, BAD THING. But not Penny.
– Before going on the run, Penny and one of her father’s employees engage in mutual flirting and swooning. Penny even tells her father that the two should get married and take over the business. Dad doesn’t like the idea.
– While on the run, Penny is desperate to get in touch with Guy # 1. She is madly in love with him until she (literally) runs into Guy # 2. Guy # 1 immediately disappears from her thoughts, and Penny and Guy # 2 engage in mutual flirting and swooning. I’m going to go out on a limb and say that EVERY reader will immediately know the real identity of Guy # 2. But not Penny.
– Guy # 2 stalks the hell out of Penny, and Penny loves it. He follows her to the apartment where she’s hiding, and he spends the next few days hovering outside, waiting for her to leave. That’s true love right there. Right? RIGHT???? Penny starts to fall even harder for this freak.
– Penny acquires some information indicating that some people on the other side of the country are about to be killed. By this point, she has made some high power contacts like, oh, for example, the Vice President of the United States. A member of the Secret Service. Rather than calling the endangered people or local law enforcement or the Vice President (who has proven himself trustworthy and willing to do anything to help and protect Penny), she boards a plane for a long flight to go directly to these people whom others are planning to kill. Smart move, Penny.

The rest plays out predictably, as well as ridiculously.

Note: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

]]>http://inspiringinsomnia.com/2015/07/review-hold-me-like-a-breath-by-tiffany-schmidt.html/feed6http://inspiringinsomnia.com/2015/07/review-hold-me-like-a-breath-by-tiffany-schmidt.htmlStacking the Shelves: July 26, 2015http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/InspiringInsomniaBlog/~3/2g-D6MWBsN8/stacking-the-shelves-july-26-2015.html
http://inspiringinsomnia.com/2015/07/stacking-the-shelves-july-26-2015.html#commentsSat, 25 Jul 2015 04:31:12 +0000http://inspiringinsomnia.com/?p=4801Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks! Visit Tynga’s Reviews to learn more about this weekly meme. I can’t believe it’s been almost 3 months since I last did an STS post. I haven’t included all of the books... Read more »

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks! Visit Tynga’s Reviews to learn more about this weekly meme.

I can’t believe it’s been almost 3 months since I last did an STS post. I haven’t included all of the books I’ve acquired during that time below, but I’ve included a lot. Of the ones I’ve managed to read so far, I highly, enthusiastically, and emphatically recommend Seveneves by Neal Stephenson. It is an epic, 860 page sci-fi work of wonder. It starts in the present day with the destruction of the moon, then the world-ending apocalypse that follows, and then it flashes 5,000 years into the future. If you like sci-fi at all, this is a must.

LIBRARY

FROM MY OTSP SECRET SISTER

Let me know what hit your shelves this week!

]]>http://inspiringinsomnia.com/2015/07/stacking-the-shelves-july-26-2015.html/feed15http://inspiringinsomnia.com/2015/07/stacking-the-shelves-july-26-2015.htmlReview: Delicate Monsters by Stephanie Kuehnhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/InspiringInsomniaBlog/~3/AXUoc0yLRbo/review-delicate-monsters-by-stephanie-kuehn.html
http://inspiringinsomnia.com/2015/07/review-delicate-monsters-by-stephanie-kuehn.html#commentsWed, 22 Jul 2015 01:02:41 +0000http://inspiringinsomnia.com/?p=4787I don’t usually pay much attention to titles, but “Delicate Monsters” intrigued me. What exactly is a “delicate monster?” After reading Stephanie Kuehn’s latest novel, I did some Googling and expected to find that the phrase is from a song or a poem or another book, and I wanted to see how it was originally used to get some additional insight into Kuehn’s ideas about her story. But it looks like it’s an original phrase that she created, so I will... Read more »

From the Morris-Award winning author of Charm & Strange, comes a twisted and haunting tale about three teens uncovering dark secrets and even darker truths about themselves.

When nearly killing a classmate gets seventeen-year-old Sadie Su kicked out of her third boarding school in four years, she returns to her family’s California vineyard estate. Here, she’s meant to stay out of trouble. Here, she’s meant to do a lot of things. But it’s hard. She’s bored. And when Sadie’s bored, the only thing she likes is trouble.

Emerson Tate’s a poor boy living in a rich town, with his widowed mother and strange, haunted little brother. All he wants his senior year is to play basketball and make something happen with the girl of his dreams. That’s why Emerson’s not happy Sadie’s back. An old childhood friend, she knows his worst secrets. The things he longs to forget. The things she won’t ever let him.

Haunted is a good word for fifteen-year-old Miles Tate. Miles can see the future, after all. And he knows his vision of tragic violence at his school will come true, because his visions always do. That’s what he tells the new girl in town. The one who listens to him. The one who recognizes the darkness in his past.

But can Miles stop the violence? Or has the future already been written? Maybe tragedy is his destiny. Maybe it’s all of theirs.

I don’t usually pay much attention to titles, but “Delicate Monsters” intrigued me. What exactly is a “delicate monster?” After reading Stephanie Kuehn’s latest novel, I did some Googling and expected to find that the phrase is from a song or a poem or another book, and I wanted to see how it was originally used to get some additional insight into Kuehn’s ideas about her story. But it looks like it’s an original phrase that she created, so I will try to interpret it myself. I think the “delicate monsters” in this story are people who have some form of mental illness and who do horrible things. In hindsight, that seems evident, but the beauty of these “delicate monsters” is that Kuehn writes them in such a way that we are able to feel some varying degrees of sympathy for them.

The first and most clear-cut monster is Sadie Su. I’ll go ahead and diagnose Sadie as a sociopath. She’s cruel for no other reason than that she can be, she throws rocks at cars for fun, and she’s just generally scary. One little scene that highlighted Sadie’s mental illness more clearly than even some of the more outwardly cruel behavior she exhibits is when urinates on herself while walking in her house in her nightgown. Why? Because she likes the feel of the warmth on her legs. This freaked me out for a couple of reasons. One, because it demonstrates how disconnected she is from “normal” human behavior, and two, because it reminded me of a certain scene from The Exorcist.

Emerson is our next monster. He’s Sadie’s former childhood friend and current classmate. Initially, he seems OK. But then he commits a sick act which would be bad enough on its own, but is made worse because of the way he is unable to understand the wrongness of his actions. We also learn, through Sadie, about his sadistic acts as a child, and by that point, I began to view Emerson as even scarier than Sadie.

Miles is Emerson’s younger brother. He might not be a monster, unless you consider his possible ability to predict impending, horrible violence as monstrous. He’s odd and awkward and, not surprisingly, he’s tormented and bullied at school. He’s tortured by the visions in his head and unfortunately, his brother is too self-absorbed to care.

Sadie connects with these two brothers in very different ways. She decides to have her unique brand of “fun” with Emerson, and I can’t say that I minded. He deserved to be on the receiving end of Sadie’s torturing. But Miles has a very different effect on Sadie. Something about his strangeness helped to level off her sociopathic tendencies, if only in her interactions with Miles.

I had certain expectations going into this book, based on Kuehn’s previous two novels, Charm and Strange and Complicit, both of which were very, very good. They both dealt with mental illness and had unreliable narrators and knock-your-socks-off endings. Delicate Monsters differs primarily in its lack of an unreliable narrator, and I kept waiting for someone to get exposed. But I like how Kuehn took a different and unexpected path here. There IS a shocking ending, and it’s one that at the beginning of the book would have seemed unbelievable, but with Kuehn’s careful development of her characters throughout the story, it works, and it’s very powerful.

One of my favorite things about all of Kuehn’s books is how she is completely unafraid to show the ugliness of her characters. As a reader, this can be a brutal experience, but it’s real, and it’s honest, and it’s true to life.

]]>http://inspiringinsomnia.com/2015/07/review-delicate-monsters-by-stephanie-kuehn.html/feed4http://inspiringinsomnia.com/2015/07/review-delicate-monsters-by-stephanie-kuehn.htmlThe Last Ten Books That Came Into My Possessionhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/InspiringInsomniaBlog/~3/38EBBxl-yJY/the-last-ten-books-that-came-into-my-possession.html
http://inspiringinsomnia.com/2015/07/the-last-ten-books-that-came-into-my-possession.html#commentsTue, 14 Jul 2015 04:12:49 +0000http://inspiringinsomnia.com/?p=4776Top Ten Tuesday is a meme created by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week a new topic is given, and this week’s topic is: The Last Ten Books That Came Into My Possession 1) The Last Town by Blake Crouch: This book is the last in the trilogy which is the basis for the new Fox show, Wayward Pines. Anyone else watching the show? After the first couple of episodes aired, I got the first book, Wayward, from my library, and... Read more »

The Last Ten Books That Came Into My Possession

1) The Last Town by Blake Crouch: This book is the last in the trilogy which is the basis for the new Fox show, Wayward Pines. Anyone else watching the show? After the first couple of episodes aired, I got the first book, Wayward, from my library, and I really enjoyed it. I put myself on the reserve list for the next two books, and wouldn’t you know – this last book became available before the second book. Now I’m just hoping someone will return the second book before I have to return this one!

I went on a download spree for fall Harper books on Edelweiss on Sunday. These have been available for a while, but I’ve been hesitant to download them because I am embarrassingly behind on reading review books. But I didn’t want to miss my opportunity to get these, and I’m hoping I can get caught up.

]]>http://inspiringinsomnia.com/2015/07/the-last-ten-books-that-came-into-my-possession.html/feed12http://inspiringinsomnia.com/2015/07/the-last-ten-books-that-came-into-my-possession.htmlReview: Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania by Erik Larsonhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/InspiringInsomniaBlog/~3/sHz0zq-fTFs/review-dead-wake-the-last-crossing-of-the-lusitania-by-erik-larson.html
http://inspiringinsomnia.com/2015/07/review-dead-wake-the-last-crossing-of-the-lusitania-by-erik-larson.html#respondSun, 12 Jul 2015 22:31:08 +0000http://inspiringinsomnia.com/?p=4767Here’s what I knew about the Lusitania prior to reading Dead Wake: Germany torpedoed and sunk a passenger ship in the Atlantic during WWI. Here’s what I know now: a whole lot more, thanks to Erik Larson’s meticulously researched and sourced book. It’s been a long time since my high school history classes, but I know that not a lot of attention was paid to WWI, and if the Lusitania was mentioned at all, it probably got a sentence in... Read more »

On May 1, 1915, with WWI entering its tenth month, a luxury ocean liner as richly appointed as an English country house sailed out of New York, bound for Liverpool, carrying a record number of children and infants. The passengers were surprisingly at ease, even though Germany had declared the seas around Britain to be a war zone. For months, German U-boats had brought terror to the North Atlantic. But the Lusitania was one of the era’s great transatlantic “Greyhounds”—the fastest liner then in service—and her captain, William Thomas Turner, placed tremendous faith in the gentlemanly strictures of warfare that for a century had kept civilian ships safe from attack.

Germany, however, was determined to change the rules of the game, and Walther Schwieger, the captain of Unterseeboot-20, was happy to oblige. Meanwhile, an ultra-secret British intelligence unit tracked Schwieger’s U-boat, but told no one. As U-20 and the Lusitania made their way toward Liverpool, an array of forces both grand and achingly small—hubris, a chance fog, a closely guarded secret, and more—all converged to produce one of the great disasters of history.

It is a story that many of us think we know but don’t, and Erik Larson tells it thrillingly, switching between hunter and hunted while painting a larger portrait of America at the height of the Progressive Era. Full of glamour and suspense, Dead Wake brings to life a cast of evocative characters, from famed Boston bookseller Charles Lauriat to pioneering female architect Theodate Pope to President Woodrow Wilson, a man lost to grief, dreading the widening war but also captivated by the prospect of new love.

Gripping and important, Dead Wake captures the sheer drama and emotional power of a disaster whose intimate details and true meaning have long been obscured by history.

Here’s what I knew about the Lusitania prior to reading Dead Wake: Germany torpedoed and sunk a passenger ship in the Atlantic during WWI. Here’s what I know now: a whole lot more, thanks to Erik Larson’s meticulously researched and sourced book. It’s been a long time since my high school history classes, but I know that not a lot of attention was paid to WWI, and if the Lusitania was mentioned at all, it probably got a sentence in a text book. I suspect that this is even more true today. Thankfully, there are authors like Larson who can fill in these big blanks.

The main point of Dead Wake is that the loss of more than one thousand lives didn’t have to happen. But a series of events, both trivial and major, and unintentional and deliberate, put the Lusitania on a fatal course. What if the captain of the ship hadn’t taken a few extra minutes to chat with his niece before setting off from New York? What if Cunard hadn’t ordered all of its ships to travel more slowly in order to save money? What if Britain had sent a destroyer to escort the Lusitania through the dangerous waters around Great Britain and Ireland? And, most tragically of all, since Britain had cracked codes that allowed them to read all the transmissions between German U-boats and to plot their locations, why didn’t they warn the captain that he was heading right towards a submarine commanded by a man who had previously demonstrated his ruthlessness by sinking neutral ships?

The most fascinating person in this story is Walther Schwieger, the commander of the sub that sunk Lusitania. Schwieger kept very detailed notes, almost in a diary fashion, during his patrols. In addition to noting the types and sizes of ships that he destroyed, he occasionally lets through thoughts that give insight into the man who would eventually knowingly sink a ship filled with civilian men, women, and children. To Germany, the Lusitania was an irresistible prize and a chance to show off Germany’s naval superiority. The Lusitania was the grandest of ocean liners and considered unsinkable. (Where have we heard that before?)

Larson helps bring to life a number of the passengers on board, using their own writings. These people, for the most part, were excited for the journey from New York to Liverpool, even though they would be traveling through waters that would almost certainly contain U-boats. At that time, it was inconceivable that Germany would attack a passenger ship. So the passengers (the first class ones, anyway) were free to to enjoy luxurious meals, sunshine on the deck, and a bit of gambling, while ignoring the raging war.

Dead Wake is among the best works of non-fiction I’ve read. It reads like a thrilling and horrific novel with rich characters, and while Germany and Schwieger, in particular, are the main villains in this story, questions must be asked of the “heroes,” as well. Woodrow Wilson was determined to keep America out of war, and for a long time, he succeeded. What if he had joined our allies sooner? Most disturbingly, why didn’t Britain make an effort to protect the Lusitania? Was it incompetence, or was it done deliberately, with the decision to sacrifice a thousand lives in order to force America to join the war?

The only fault I will find with Dead Wake is the lack of any photos or illustrations, aside from a bland map of the southern parts of Great Britain and Ireland. It seems like a strange omission in a story that was so well-researched.

Note: This review is based on a finished copy provided by the publisher.

]]>http://inspiringinsomnia.com/2015/07/review-dead-wake-the-last-crossing-of-the-lusitania-by-erik-larson.html/feed0http://inspiringinsomnia.com/2015/07/review-dead-wake-the-last-crossing-of-the-lusitania-by-erik-larson.htmlReview: The Devil You Know by Trish Dollerhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/InspiringInsomniaBlog/~3/pJ1JkANAPOE/review-the-devil-you-know-by-trish-doller.html
http://inspiringinsomnia.com/2015/07/review-the-devil-you-know-by-trish-doller.html#commentsThu, 02 Jul 2015 00:20:41 +0000http://inspiringinsomnia.com/?p=4761Before reading The Devil You Know, I read a few reviews that stated that the plot of this book was a lot like Black Ice by Becca Fitzpatrick, a book that received a rare one star rating from me. This was a big red flag, because Black Ice was ridiculous and nonsensical and just plain awful. But this is Trish Doller! The woman who wrote the wonderful Where the Stars Still Shine. Surely this book had to be better than Black Ice,... Read more »

Eighteen-year-old Arcadia wants adventure. Living in a tiny Florida town with her dad and four-year-old brother, Cadie spends most of her time working, going to school, and taking care of her family. So when she meets two handsome cousins at a campfire party, she finally has a chance for fun. They invite her and friend to join them on a road trip, and it's just the risk she's been craving-the opportunity to escape. But what starts out as a fun, sexy journey quickly becomes dangerous when she discovers that one of them is not at all who he claims to be. One of them has deadly intentions.

A road trip fling turns terrifying in this contemporary story that will keep readers on the edge of their seats.

Before reading The Devil You Know, I read a few reviews that stated that the plot of this book was a lot like Black Iceby Becca Fitzpatrick, a book that received a rare one star rating from me. This was a big red flag, because Black Ice was ridiculous and nonsensical and just plain awful. But this is Trish Doller! The woman who wrote the wonderful Where the Stars Still Shine. Surely this book had to be better than Black Ice, and it was. But not by much, although I may be extra forgiving because I enjoyed her previous work.

Arcadia/Cadie is our protagonist, and she starts off likable enough. She’s getting over a break-up, and she meets a hot guy and invites him to a party. Hot guy Matt shows up with his hot guy cousin, Noah. Cadie and her friend decide to take off with these two random guys on a little road trip. Hmmm, what could go wrong? In real life, probably nothing. But with the comparisons to Black Ice, I knew that mayhem was about to ensue. Cadie hooks up with and eventually has sex with Matt while continually insisting, “I’m not that kind of girl.” Can we just get rid of that nonsense? Have sex or don’t have sex, but quit with the, “Well, I’ll have sex, but I’m a virgin, so I’m only doing this against my better judgment and in the most non-slutty way possible.”

By now, Cadie is already grating on my nerves, but the story hadn’t gone off the rails yet. And then…a psychic shows up, and I knew it was all over. Psychics, Ouija boards, and the like just scream desperation on the author’s part to me. And it feels cheap. Of course, every terrible thing the psychic said came true, and if Cadie had ever read a book or watched TV she would have known how this was going to play out. But she makes dumb moves followed by even dumber moves, and I actually found myself laughing at many parts. We know exactly what is going to happen, but dumb Cadie just keeps upping her unbelievable stupidity, all the way up to the conclusion that everyone but Cadie knew was coming.

If you’ve been waiting to read a Trish Doller book, please don’t let it be this one.

]]>http://inspiringinsomnia.com/2015/06/top-ten-books-ive-read-in-2015-so-far.html/feed13http://inspiringinsomnia.com/2015/06/top-ten-books-ive-read-in-2015-so-far.htmlReview: The Royal We by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morganhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/InspiringInsomniaBlog/~3/aeXDY0k7xvw/review-the-royal-we-by-heather-cocks-and-jessica-morgan.html
http://inspiringinsomnia.com/2015/06/review-the-royal-we-by-heather-cocks-and-jessica-morgan.html#commentsTue, 23 Jun 2015 00:53:53 +0000http://inspiringinsomnia.com/?p=4744The Royal We might not be the Prince William/Kate Middleton fan fiction we wanted, but it’s the Prince William/Kate Middleton fan fiction we got. Let’s be honest. William and Kate aren’t the most exciting couple in the world. They’re very attractive, they’re very well-mannered and composed, they’re probably wonderful parents, and while that’s great for real life, it doesn’t make for a juicy novel. This lack of juiciness is especially surprising since this book was written by the bloggers from Go... Read more »

American Rebecca Porter was never one for fairy tales. Her twin sister, Lacey, has always been the romantic who fantasized about glamour and royalty, fame and fortune. Yet it's Bex who seeks adventure at Oxford and finds herself living down the hall from Prince Nicholas, Great Britain's future king. And when Bex can't resist falling for Nick, the person behind the prince, it propels her into a world she did not expect to inhabit, under a spotlight she is not prepared to face.

Dating Nick immerses Bex in ritzy society, dazzling ski trips, and dinners at Kensington Palace with him and his charming, troublesome brother, Freddie. But the relationship also comes with unimaginable baggage: hysterical tabloids, Nick's sparkling and far more suitable ex-girlfriends, and a royal family whose private life is much thornier and more tragic than anyone on the outside knows. The pressures are almost too much to bear, as Bex struggles to reconcile the man she loves with the monarch he's fated to become.

Which is how she gets into trouble.

Now, on the eve of the wedding of the century, Bex is faced with whether everything she's sacrificed for love-her career, her home, her family, maybe even herself-will have been for nothing.

The Royal We might not be the Prince William/Kate Middleton fan fiction we wanted, but it’s the Prince William/Kate Middleton fan fiction we got. Let’s be honest. William and Kate aren’t the most exciting couple in the world. They’re very attractive, they’re very well-mannered and composed, they’re probably wonderful parents, and while that’s great for real life, it doesn’t make for a juicy novel. This lack of juiciness is especially surprising since this book was written by the bloggers from Go Fug Yourself.

William and Kate are played here by Nick and Bex. Instead of being an upper-middle class British girl, Bex is an upper-middle class American girl. Oh, the horror! Bex goes to Oxford as an exchange student, and Prince Nicholas is the first fellow student she meets. He greets her, he shows her around, and get this – Bex HAS NO IDEA WHO HE IS. Now, come on. Is there any American college girl, even one who only has a passing knowledge of the British monarchy, who would take the time to investigate the Oxford student exchange program, move to England, but then have no clue that the heir to the throne was one of her classmates?

Let’s get back to Kate Middleton for a minute. One of the things the gossip-loving, Daily Mail-reading part of me loves is that she and her grasping family supposedly worked their asses off for years to get her claws into William and to raise their own social status by association. Who cares if it’s true or not, because it would make for a delicious novel. But none of this royal stuff even phases Bex, and this makes her attraction for Nick baffling, because his main characteristic is his constant moping. He complains about his duties and responsibilities and his family. He doesn’t trust anyone. He can’t have fun, because it might get into the tabloids. So, since we are constantly told that Bex has no interest in Nick’s royal status, why does she want to have anything to do with this buzzkill of a guy? Later on, when someone points out that Bex could become queen, Bex is shocked. Shocked, I say! She’d never even thought of that!

Since it became clear early on that Bex was going to be an angelic character with the purest of intentions, all that was left was to enjoy a purely fictional look into the inner workings of the monarchy and how they must attempt to groom this American girl to be a princess. New clothes! Hair extensions! And keep that Pippa-ish sister of yours in line. Bex’s sister, by the way, is awful, and she seemed designed to take on all of the negative qualities that have been ascribed to Kate and her family. Also awful? Nick’s father, who seems to hate both of his sons. For you Harry fans (and you can count me as one), he is here in all his glory as Freddie. The queen is a heavy and somewhat frightening presence throughout the story, but she’s rarely seen or heard by Bex, which seems right. She’s got better things to do than to socialize with her grandson’s American girlfriend.

And now, the authors were faced with a dilemma. Bex is so wonderful and so purely and innocently in love with Nick, but every good story needs a scandal. The one they chose passed way over the line and into gross territory. It was like they wanted to pick a scandal so outlandish that no one could possibly think that it could be inspired by something that Kate herself did. But it wasn’t just gross – it was also resolved in a completely unbelievable fashion.

If you have no interest in the British monarchy, I wouldn’t recommend this, because you will likely be bored by Bex and Nick. But for the rest of us, there are some fun side characters and some delightfully blue-blooded snobbery to keep things interesting.

]]>http://inspiringinsomnia.com/2015/06/review-the-royal-we-by-heather-cocks-and-jessica-morgan.html/feed3http://inspiringinsomnia.com/2015/06/review-the-royal-we-by-heather-cocks-and-jessica-morgan.htmlReview: Unleashed by Sophie Jordanhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/InspiringInsomniaBlog/~3/y5IlRU8SsIo/review-unleashed-by-sophie-jordan.html
http://inspiringinsomnia.com/2015/05/review-unleashed-by-sophie-jordan.html#commentsFri, 15 May 2015 01:09:59 +0000http://inspiringinsomnia.com/?p=4725Shortly before I started reading Unleashed, the second book in Sophie Jordan’s duology, I read a review on Goodreads in which the reviewer wrote that while she enjoyed this book, she missed the absence of the romance from the first book. Well, that sounded great to me, because I thought the romance between Davy and Sean was the weakest part of the story. In my review of Uninvited, I wrote this about the romance: “The worst part of this was... Read more »

Unleashed, the romantic, high-stakes sequel to New York Times bestselling author Sophie Jordan's Uninvited, is perfect for fans of James Patterson's Confessions of a Murder Suspect.

Davy has spent the last few months trying to come to terms with the fact that she tested positive for the kill gene HTS (also known as Homicidal Tendency Syndrome). She swore she would not let it change her, and that her DNA did not define her . . . but then she killed a man.

Now on the run, Davy must decide whether she'll be ruled by the kill gene or if she'll follow her heart and fight for her right to live free. But with her own potential for violence lying right beneath the surface, Davy doesn't even know if she can trust herself.

Shortly before I started reading Unleashed, the second book in Sophie Jordan’s duology, I read a review on Goodreads in which the reviewer wrote that while she enjoyed this book, she missed the absence of the romance from the first book. Well, that sounded great to me, because I thought the romance between Davy and Sean was the weakest part of the story. In my review of Uninvited, I wrote this about the romance: “The worst part of this was that Davy, who had started to show the first signs of blossoming from her sheltered life, suddenly became a helpless damsel in distress. She was victimized by numerous awful men in numerous awful situations, and every time, Sean swooped in out of nowhere like Batman to rescue her.” So, I was excited at the idea that we might get to know Davy on her own, without a guy having to save her every couple of pages, but guess what? That didn’t happen. The reviewer was correct that Sean was missing from most of this book, but what I didn’t realize is that a new guy would show up to fill that same role, and Davy was as weak as ever.

It started off promisingly enough. Davy, Sean, and their friends hatch a plan to escape to Mexico, where they will be safe from U.S. government officials trying to imprison them due to a defect in their genes that makes them prone to violence. During the escape attempt, Davy is shot, and she gets separated from her friends. She’s near death and close to capture, and that was the cue for a brand new guy to jump in to save the day. He’s Caden, he’s hot, and he’s part of a resistance movement helping to shelter Americans with the gene defect and to get them to Mexico.

Davy quickly runs afoul of the resistance members. Some of them believe she’s a spy (for no discernible reason,) and at least one of the other girls hates Davy because Caden pays attention to her. After the gunshot that brings Caden into her life, a variety of men choke her, beat her, stab her, and threaten to rape her, and each time, no matter where she is, Caden magically shows up to save her and demolish her attacker(s). After reading these two books from Sophie Jordan, I can’t understand her fascination with constantly subjecting her MC to abuse, while preventing her from having any opportunity to save herself. It’s especially laughable because, umm, isn’t Davy supposed to have this gene that makes her ultra-violent?

In between all of the attacks on Davy, I wanted more exploration on the topic of the ethics of genetic testing. We do get to see a little bit of what’s happening outside the resistance compound in the form of brief snippets of conversation between various government and military officials. It becomes clear that not everyone is on board with the idea of wiping out with the “cleansing program,” but it’s such a swift turnaround that it almost seemed like someone realized, “Hey, this series is only two books, not three. We need to change society’s murderous, discriminatory beliefs, and we need to do it NOW.”

I’m saving the worst part for last. Near the end of the story, it becomes clear that there is a traitor within the resistance movement. Not the most original or surprising idea, but I was looking for something to distract from the continuous, brutal attacks on Davy. But I ended up feeling almost offended by the reveal of the traitor, because it played into a horrible cliche about a large segment of the population.

As for Davy, Sean, and Caden, this love triangle gets resolved with little fuss, and no hard feelings, which was surprising since these two guys spent much of the two books pounding the crap out of other guys. I think Davy would have been better off without either one of them, but there was no chance of that happening.

]]>http://inspiringinsomnia.com/2015/05/review-unleashed-by-sophie-jordan.html/feed6http://inspiringinsomnia.com/2015/05/review-unleashed-by-sophie-jordan.htmlStacking the Shelves: May 9, 2015http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/InspiringInsomniaBlog/~3/iRqnfk7koVw/stacking-the-shelves-may-9-2015.html
http://inspiringinsomnia.com/2015/05/stacking-the-shelves-may-9-2015.html#commentsSat, 09 May 2015 04:03:40 +0000http://inspiringinsomnia.com/?p=4728Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks! Visit Tynga’s Reviews to learn more about this weekly meme. It has been almost one month since I last posted, and my last my three posts were Stacking the Shelves. I am... Read more »

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks! Visit Tynga’s Reviews to learn more about this weekly meme.

It has been almost one month since I last posted, and my last my three posts were Stacking the Shelves. I am in the midst of (another) review slump, and I told myself that I would refrain from any posting until I had written a review. That hasn’t happened. The reading has been happening, but I have not been able to form a coherent review for any of them. In the meantime, I’ve been getting more and more books, and I want to share them here. I also think I might actually be able to write a review in the next few days (Unleashed by Sophie Jordan, in case you were curious), so it doesn’t feel like I’m cheating too much by doing this STS post.